How to remove bottom buttons on Android Samsung: a complete guide with hidden functions

The bottom panel with the "Back", "Home" and "Recents" buttons on smartphones Samsung occupies precious space on the screen, especially on devices with a small diagonal or cutouts for the camera. Many users One UI want to hide these elements in order to expand the work area or switch to gesture control - like in “pure” Android. However, standard settings do not always offer flexible configuration options, and some methods require superuser rights.

In this article we will examine all possible ways from official settings to hidden commands for developers and modifications of system files. You will learn how to remove the buttons from the bottom on Samsung Galaxy S23/S22/A54/A34 and other models with One UI 4.0–6.1, as well as what risks you take when using non-obvious methods. We will pay special attention workarounds for devices without root accessthat work even on locked bootloaders.

1. Official method: setting up gestures in One UI

The safest and recommended method is to switch to gesture navigation. Samsung offers three control options, one of which completely removes the bottom panel. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Settings → Display → Navigation bar.
2. Select item Gestures (or Full screen gestures on new versions).
3. Activate the option Slider gestures - this hides the buttons, leaving only a thin strip at the bottom of the screen.

After applying the changes, the bottom panel will disappear, and to navigate you will need:

• 🔹 Go back: swipe from the left or right edge of the screen.
• 🏠 Home: swipe up from the bottom edge.
• 📄 Recent apps: swipe up and hold your finger.

⚠️ Attention: On some models (for example, Galaxy A13 or M33) option Gesture slider may be missing. In this case, try updating the firmware or use the alternative methods in the following sections.

If you don't like full-screen mode, you can choose Buttons and gestures —a hybrid option where buttons appear only when you touch the bottom of the screen. This is a compromise between convenience and free space.

2. Hiding buttons through developer modes

There are hidden options that allow you to disable the display of the navigation bar without root access. To do this, you need to activate One UI There are hidden options that allow you to turn off the navigation bar without root. To do this you need to activate Developer mode and use the ADB command. Instructions:

1. Activate developer mode: go to Settings → About phone → Software information and click on Number 7 times assembly.
2. Return to the main settings menu, open Developer options (usually in the section System).
3. Find the option USB debugging and enable it.
4. Connect the phone to the PC, install ADB-tools and run the command:

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

After you reboot the device, the bottom panel will disappear, but it will become more difficult to control the smartphone - to call the menu you will need to swipe up and hold your finger. use:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

⚠️ Attention: This method may conflict with some applications (for example, banking or games) that require standard navigation. Also on Samsung s One UI 5.1+ the command sometimes resets after updates.

Install Samsung USB drivers|Enable software debugging USB|Connect the phone to the PC with an original cable|Check the operation of ADB with the command adb devices-->

3. Using third-party applications (without root)

If standard methods are not suitable, you can use applications from Google Playthat simulate full screen mode. Best options:

• 📱 Nacho Notch - hides the panel. navigation and a cutout for the camera, works on most models Samsung (requires configuration via ADB).
• 🖥️ Full Screen Immersive Mode — enables immersive mode for all applications, but may conflict with system dialogs.
• 🔧 Edge Gestures — replaces buttons with gestures on the edges of the screen (an alternative to standard gestures One UI).

Setting example Nacho Notch:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Select Hide Navigation Bar.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and run the command:

adb -d shell pm grant com.uberspot.notchcity android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

After this, the option to completely hide the panel will appear in the application settings.

Application	Requires ADB	Works on One UI 6.0	Cons
Nacho Notch	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Complicated setup, sometimes resets
Full Screen Immersive	❌ No	⚠️ Partially	Conflicts with system windows
Edge Gestures	❌ No	✅ Yes	Paid version for all functions

Please note: applications may be stop working after updating One UIas Samsung is tightening its security policy. We recommend checking compatibility on the forums. (for example XDA Developers or 4PDA).

4. Editing system files (for root only)

If you have root access, you can manually disable the navigation bar by changing system files. This method gives maximum control, but requires caution - incorrect actions can lead to. to bootloop (loop loading).

Instructions for advanced users:

1. Install a file manager with root support (for example, Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Navigate to the path /system/build.prop and open the file in a text editor.
3. Add the line to the end of the file:

qemu.hw.mainkeys=1

Save the changes, reboot the device. After this, the navigation bar should disappear.

Alternative method - shutdown via settings.db:

1. Open the database /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db in SQLite Editor.
2. Find the table system and add an entry:

INSERT INTO system (name, value) VALUES ('navigation_bar_show', '0');

⚠️ Warning: Editing system files may break operation Samsung Knox, which will lead to loss of warranty and problems with Samsung Pay, Secure Folder and other protected functions. There is also a high risk of the device “bricking” if there is an error in the syntax.

What to do if after editing build.prop the phone does not boot?

If the device is stuck on the logo Samsung, try booting into Recovery Mode (press Power + Volume Up) and restore the backup copy build.prop. If there is no backup, you will have to reflash the phone via Odin.

5. applications

If you need to remove the navigation bar only in specific apps (for example, in games or video players), use the built-in functions One UI or the settings of the applications themselves.

Method 1: Immersive mode in Samsung settings

1. Open Settings → Accessibility → Visibility → Full-screen applications.
2. Select an application from the list (for example, YouTube or PUBG Mobile).
3. Activate the option Hide the navigation bar.

Method 2: Settings within the application

Many games and media players have their own options for hiding system elements. For example:

• 🎮 In Genshin Impact: Settings → Graphics → Full screen mode.
• 🎥 V VLC: Settings → Video → Screen size → Remove system buttons.
• 📖 In Moon+ Reader: Settings → Screen → Immersive mode.

For applications where there is no such option, you can use ADB command to selectively hide:

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.DevelopmentSettings

Then manually add the application to the list of exceptions for full screen mode.

6. Alternative shells (Launcher)

If you do not like the standard one One UI Launcher, you can install a third-party shell that supports hiding the navigation bar. The best options:

• 🌌 Nova Launcher — allows you to customize gestures and hide the bottom panel through a plugin Nova Gestures.
• 🔄 Lawnchair —a lightweight launcher with support for immersive mode.
• 📱 Microsoft Launcher —offers flexible gesture settings, but requires ADB to completely hide the buttons.

Setting example in Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher and the plugin Nova Gestures.
2. Open the launcher settings → Gestures and inputs → System navigation gestures.
3. Select Hide the navigation bar and configure alternative gestures.

Please note: third-party launchers cannot completely replace the system navigation bar with Samsung, but they allow minimize its visibility and add additional gestures.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When trying to remove the buttons from the bottom on Samsung users encounter typical errors. Here's how to fix them:

Problem	Cause	Solution
Buttons return after reboot	ADB command is reset by the system	Use Tasker to automatically apply the command at startup
Gestures do not work after hiding buttons	Conflict with settings One UI	Return standard navigation and customize gestures again
Applications do not open in full screen mode	Manufacturer restrictions (for example, in banking applications)	Add the application to exceptions in Settings → Accessibility
A black bar appears instead of buttons	Incorrect settings in build.prop	Return the value qemu.hw.mainkeys=0 and reboot the device

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔄 One UI version — on Samsung Galaxy S24 s One UI 6.1 some ADB commands may not be supported.
• 🔒 Knox status —if it worked (Knox 0x1), system modifications are blocked.
• 📱 Device model —on budget models (for example, Galaxy M13) the functionality of gestures may be reduced.

⚠️ Attention: On devices s Android 14 i One UI 6.0+ Samsung has tightened its security policy. Some methods (for example, editing build.prop without root) may no longer work. Before experiments, check the relevance of the information on the relevant forums.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to remove buttons on Samsung without root and ADB?

Yes, but the choice is limited. You can:

• Use standard gestures in Settings → Display → Navigation bar.
• Install a third-party launcher (for example Nova Launcher) and configure hiding through its options.
• Enable full-screen mode for individual applications in Settings → Accessibility.

Without ADB or root it is impossible completely to remove the navigation bar at the system level.

Why did the buttons appear again after the One UI update?

Samsung resets some user settings when updating the firmware. To return hiding buttons:

1. Repeat the ADB command (adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*).
2. If you used build.prop, check if the changes have been reset.
3. For third-party applications (for example, Nacho Notch) you may need to repeat setting permissions.

To avoid the problem in the future, create a script to automatically apply commands after the update (for example, via Tasker).

Is it safe to edit build.prop on Samsung?

Editing build.prop on devices Samsung is associated with risks:

• 🚨 Triggering Knox — loss of warranty and blocking Samsung Pay, Secure Folder.
• 🔄 Bootloop —if you make an error in the syntax, the phone may stop booting.
• 📵 Loss of OTA updates —modified firmware can block automatic update.

If you still decide to edit the file:

1. Create a backup copy of the original build.prop.
2. Use a text editor that preserves the encoding (for example, QuickEdit).
3. Check the changes line by line, rebooting the device after each edit.

How to return buttons back if they disappeared after experiments?

Methods of returning depend on the hiding method:

• If you used ADB:

  adb shell settings put global policy_control null

• If edited build.prop:

  Delete the line qemu.hw.mainkeys=1 or return qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

• If the problem is after a third-party application:
  1. Delete the application.
  2. Clear the cache in Settings → Applications → [Application name] → Memory → Clear cache.
  3. Reboot your device.

If all else fails:

Reset settings via Settings → General management → Reset → Reset settings (data will not be deleted).

Do these methods work on Samsung tablets (for example, Galaxy Tab S8)? summary>

Yes, most methods apply to tablets as well on One UI, but there are nuances:

• 📱 On Galaxy Tab navigation gestures by default are more flexible - you can use Taskbar instead of classic buttons.
• 🔧 ADB commands work similarly, but for some models (for example, Tab S9) a different version may be required platform-tools.
• ⚠️ Editing build.prop on tablets more often leads to operation Knoxas they are used more often in the corporate segment.

Third-party launchers (for example, Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher), which are optimized for large screens, are also relevant for tablets.